Hoyt Hughes

Hoyt Hughes’ rooted country music fuses rowdy legendary lyrics with rocking contemporary tunes. This award-winning artist from Lakeland, Florida is cutting through the crowd of hopefuls with his prodigal return to Music City. “I remember coming to Nashville in the late 90’s when I took my first stab at the industry,” says Hoyt. “I had a great run including a remarkable experience signing autographs at Fan Fair with my booth positioned next to Alan Jackson and Neal McCoy. I even, at one point, ended up back to back with Randy Owen!” This former electric plant employee has been creating sparks in the music arena since a young age. His family always had strong musical ties with his dad being a performer and singer and his older brother picking up the drums. “I can remember Dad gathering up the band and performing on the front porch. The whole neighborhood would end up in the yard before the night was over with. I even recall trading a kid up the street something to get my very first 45, a single from Neil Diamond.” With music abilities that continued to grow, Hoyt spent his childhood dreaming of a life in the country spotlight. However, his teenage years found him putting aside his musical pursuits and enjoying the Florida scene. “You could find me any weekend on my surf board catching some waves down at Cocoa Beach.” In his mid twenties, those embers would reignite when he met his wife. Realizing that he has a talent and passion for music, she pushed him to get on a stage one evening where his brother was playing. “I got up there and sung ‘Don’t Close Your Eyes’ by Keith Whitley. At that point, I realized I had been bitten by the music bug and I haven’t looked away from the industry ever since.” He has taken the stage alongside industry legends including Charlie Daniels, Jett Williams and the Bellamy Brothers. Also, Grammy Award winner and “Rose Garden” icon Lynn Anderson even personally invited him to sing at her birthday celebration. With Hoyt’s new album, you can hear influences beyond the country genre. “I grew up listening to George Jones, Johnny Cash and Travis Tritt in the country market and also rocked out with Van Halen and the Police.” Fans have caught him on stages across the nation, but he also finds time to give back to numerous charities as he has headlined benefits for the Shriners and Leukemia and Lymphoma Societies. Nevertheless, it was his step father who connected him with a performance that landed Hoyt his current recording deal with Whirlwind Records. This year proves to hold exciting milestones for Hoyt as he’s currently recording a new album. He’s gotten first hand experience in the road life traversing between Nashville and Austin, TX polishing off his latest project. “This business doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes, I wake up and run through a version of ‘Peace in the Valley’ to collect my thoughts. I couldn’t ask for anything more than the opportunities that lie ahead. To bring a smile to someone’s face or hear stories of how my music has changed a fan’s life is overwhelming. Sometimes, you can just see and feel the crowd and band connect at a live show. It makes me recognize that I am part of something that is much bigger than me and the band members. It’s those experiences that drive me to take the stage.”